This invention relates generally to an improved mausoleum and the construction thereof, and specifically to a mausoleum which may be constructed at reduced labor and material cost without reducing structural integrity or available crypt space.
In recent years, mausoleums have been constructed using poured concrete to form an integral tiered array of enclosures. The use of poured concrete requires rigid, strengthened structural support walls necessary to support the entire structure. Other teachings in the prior art show the use of preformed concrete slabs which are arranged in tiers of crypts, which again require expensive and elaborate overall structures for the necessary support of the extremely heavy concrete tiers.
The mausoleum described herein overcomes the problems of the prior art by utilizing a plurality of lightweight fiberglass receptacles which are interlocked together in a self-supporting tiered or stacked array, alleviating the need for an elaborate rigid exterior supporting structure. Further, the tiered array of crypts may be enclosed in a relatively lightweight non load bearing, concrete structure that need only provide a finish. Each preformed fiberglass crypt includes a pair of rigid fastening rods embedded near the end faces of the vertical walls of the crypt, vertical support structural members disposed within the crypt vertical support walls and vertical tenons, the crypts stacked to form a self-supporting, interlocked, array of lightweight fiberglass crypts.
Utilizing the instant invention, the construction of a mausoleum is more efficient, less time consuming and less costly. The preformed fiberglass crypts having the end face fastening rods need only be stacked in a rectangular array of rows and columns. The corners of each crypt are interlocked to adjacent crypts by a rigid mounting plate connected to the exposed ends of the crypt fastening rods by suitable fasteners. The lower corners of the bottom row of crypts are connected to the concrete foundation. Each bottom crypt includes an adjustable leveling means connected to the concrete foundation to compensate for surface irregularities in the foundation which might otherwise detrimentally affect the vertical loading of each tier column. After the deceased is interred in an individual crypt, a fiberglass closure may be sealed over the end face, permanently sealing the crypt.